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100 In Police Net For Attacking Task Force On Street Trading

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6 years ago

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No fewer than 100 suspected touts are now cooling off in police net for attacking the coordinator and operatives of the Rivers State Task Force on Street Trading, Illegal Markets and Motor Parks.
The taskforce coordinator, Mr Bright Amaewhule made this known at the weekend, in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Amaewhule said that suspected touts, numbering about 200, attacked the task force operatives with weapons while carrying out their duties.
According to him, no fewer that 100 of the suspected touts were apprehended and are currently in the custody of the Rivers State Police Command for interrogation and possible prosecution.
He said, “we were at Oil Mill when we were attacked by some suspected cultists and criminal gang while we proceeded to Rumuokoro. Surprisingly, a set of cult related boys descended on us. We apprehended about a hundred of them and the two gang leaders were also with them. Currently, we have taken them to ‘Operation Safe’ and they are making statements and they will be charged to court on Monday” (today).
Amaewhule assured that he and his team would not let the attacks deter them from sanitising and decongesting the streets and roads of the state.
He said, “I’ve received threats on my life in the last two or three weeks but that will not deter me. We will continue to do our work in as much as we’re not witch-hunting anybody. Either as individuals or group of persons, we will do that work which the government of Rivers State has assigned to me and my team members”.
In a related development, Amaewhule has announced plans by the task force to collaborate with psychiatrists with a view to carrying out test on commercial drivers in the state.
The task force coordinator made this known at a meeting with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in Port Harcourt.
He observed that many commercial drivers were reckless and hinted that it was the plan of the task force to subject commercial drivers to tests before they are allowed to go on the road.
He also disclosed that there were plans by the state government to build new parks in designated areas to help decongest the state, adding that the task force would no longer allow automobile mechanics and vulcanizers to operate along the roadside except in garages and filling stations.

 

Tonye Nria-Dappa

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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